Preview: Torino vs. Atalanta BC - prediction, team news, lineups

While Toro toppled Lazio to inch closer to the top half of the Serie A standings, their latest visitors were 3-1 winners against Roma and remain in the mix for European football next season.

Match preview

Keeping themselves in contention for a Champions League return, Atalanta saw off Roma's challenge on Monday evening, with a 3-1 home win coming thanks to goals from Mario Pasalic, Rafael Toloi and Teun Koopmeiners; leaving them just four points shy of fourth-placed Milan.

It was the latter's strike - capitalising on an error from Giallorossi goalkeeper Rui Patricio - that effectively secured the points late on, and the Bergamaschi appear to be building some much-needed momentum for the run-in.

Having wobbled in previous weeks to slip down the standings, they have now won three of their last five matches; recording as many victories as they had managed in nine games beforehand.

Occupying seventh spot with seven games left, though, Gian Piero Gasperini's men could yet end up facing a second straight season without European football - particularly as Juventus and Inter are still to come on the schedule.

Recently linked with a big-money move to England, Koopmeiners made Serie A sit up and take notice when Atalanta last met this week's opponents, as his hat-trick in September's reverse fixture with Torino earned victory back home in Bergamo.

As they attempt to do the double on Saturday, the portents are in La Dea's favour: not only do Atalanta boast a better record away than at home this season, they have also taken maximum points from their last three league visits to Stadio Olimpico di Torino.

In fact, Torino have lost four of their last six Serie A meetings with Atalanta without winning once, so precedent is stacked against them this weekend.

More recently, the Granata have picked up just one point from their last three home games - their worst such run for a year - but events in Rome last week will certainly offer their fans some hope.

An Ivan Ilic strike split the sides in Toro's contest with in-form Lazio, and the Serbian's first league goal for over 600 days leaves his team in contention for a top-half finish.

Possessing the league's sixth-best away record demonstrates their potential, but notoriously demanding coach Ivan Juric will expect better on home soil between now and the end of the season.

Juric steered Torino away from what had become a recurring relegation battle to take 10th place last term and is surely determined to improve on that in his second year in Turin.

Torino Serie A form:

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Atalanta BC Serie A form:

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Team News

Still without wing-backs Hans Hateboer and Matteo Ruggeri due to injury, Atalanta hope to have top scorer Ademola Lookman back from a muscular problem for Saturday's late kickoff.

On Monday, Teun Koopmeiners became the first Dutch midfielder to score seven goals in a Serie A season since Clarence Seedorf in 2007-08, and he will now aim to be the first to reach eight since Ruud Gullit back in 1994-95.

Up front, Duvan Zapata and in-demand striker Rasmus Hojlund should be paired, with Lookman and Luis Muriel consigned to the bench. Twenty-five of Muriel's 99 Serie A goals have come as a substitute, and the Colombian has scored eight times against Torino in the past.

The hosts, meanwhile, could have Ola Aina and Ronaldo Vieira available again following injury, but David Zima remains sidelined and Pietro Pellegri's thigh problem is still a concern.

In the latter's absence, Antonio Sanabria continues as the Granata's focal point in attack, though only two of his nine league goals this term have come at home.

With Samuele Ricci now returning to full fitness, Ivan Juric may drop Karol Linetty to make way in midfield.

Torino possible starting lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic; Gravillon, Schuurs, Buongiorno; Singo, Ricci, Ilic, Rodriguez; Radonjic, Miranchuk; Sanabria

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:

Sportiello; Toloi, Djimsiti, Scalvini; Zappacosta, De Roon, Koopmeiners, Maehle; Pasalic; Hojlund, Zapata

We say: Torino 0-1 Atalanta BC

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